Switch stand



F. C. ANDERSON May 5, I925.

SWITCH STAND Filed Dec. 17, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Invent/01- @M Attorney.

May 5, 1925.

F. C. ANDERSON SWITCH STAND Filed Dec. 17, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inn/en for A ttorn 63 Patented May 5, 1925.

UNITED STATES EBANK C. ANDERSON OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

. SWITCH STAND.

Application filed December 17, 1924. Serial No. 756,455.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK C. ANDERSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Switch Stands, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to ground-lever parallel-throw switch-stands in general; and in certain respects it relates to switch-stands disclosed and claimed in my prior Patents No. 1,360,862, dated November 30, 1920: No. 1,407,454, dated February 21, 1922; and No. 1,413,152, dated April 18, 1922. Objects of my present invention in common with those of my prior inventions just referred to are simplification of construction and maintenance, ease of operation, and facility in adjusting to switcheshaving different lengths of throw, or in adjusting to compensate for wear in the connections.

'An object of my present invention differing from that of the above prior devices is that, whereas such prior stands are intended to throw over when the switch is run through in the wrong direction, and are so made as to prevent-excessive vibration of the switch rails under traffic, without latches, my present invention provides for holding the switch positively locked without latches, and for protection I against damage upon running through the switch in the wrong direction,

some breakable connection, as a breakable crank or breakable pin must be used. Switchsta-nds heretofore provided for positive locking without latches have been difficult to opcrate at the beginning of the throw, and it is a particular object of my present invention to avoid this difiiculty while maintaining the required positiveness of switch-holding when the switch is closed. Other ob jects, peculiar to the present invention, as well as in common with those of the above mentioned priorpatents, will appear in the course of the ensuing description;

I attain these objects by'tho device iliustrated, for example, in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation, front parts of the base and easing being omitted to reveal the interior mechanism:

Fig. 2 is a vertical front-to-rear section on the plane of the line 22 of Fig. 1, parts being in mid-position;

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the rack;

Fig. 4 is a similar view of the switchthrowing crank-arm;

Fig. 5 is a similar view of one of the crank-adjusting shims;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the switch-stand with its upper casing removed to reveal the interior mechanism;

Fig. 7 is a detail perspective View of the gear and crank-block with the target shaft attached;

Fig. 8 is a partial vertical section corresponding to that of Fig. 2, showing a modi fied crank connection; and

Fig. 9 is a detail perspective View of the crank of the example of Fig. 8.

The base of the stand comprises the middle part 1, feet 2 at opposite ends with bolt sockets 3, front shaft bearing ii, segmental rear extension 5 with hearing opening 6 depression 7 between the bearing 4 and opening 6. and pedestals 8 at opposite ends of this depression 7. Two guide. bars 9, of

circular cross-section, have their ends in transverse openings of the pedestals 8, thus extending across the base above the rear part of the depression 7 near the rear bearing opening 6 and up some distance therefrom; these two bars 9 extending parallel with each other, side by side, in a horizontal lane.

The casing comprises the front shaft hearing 10, rear extension fitting the rear extension 5 of the base and having the targetshaft-bearing opening 11 vertically alined with the bearing opening 6 of the base, and has bolt cars 12 registering with the bolt sockets 3 of the base, and being held down to the base by bolts 13 through ears on the base and easing at opposite sides of the front bearings 4 and 10, and bolts 13' in the base sockets 3 and up through the casing cars 12. The handle-lever 14. has at its free end the weight-handle 15, and at its other end, preferably forged integral with ,this lever, the

crank-shaft 16, lying in the bearings 4 and 10 and extending back over the front part of the depression 7. This lever bears on one lever rest 14 or the other (Fig. 6) as thrown from side to side, which rests will be understood to be fastened to the ties or head blocks of the switch, not shown.

The handle-lever crank 17 comprises a hub 18 fitting on the inner end of the shaft 16 and held thereon by a key-pin 17 and a transverse pin 17", and near its free end has a rearwardly projected wrist 19 radially alined with the handle-lever 14. Preferably, a roller 19 surrounds and turns on this wrist 19.

The rack 20 comprises a middle upright wall 21 forwardly from which, short equal distances from its middle, project guide lugs 22, vertically parallel on their adjacent sides and spaced apart sufiiciently to receive the crankwrist roller 19 snugly but free to roll therebetween. As shown, these lugs'22 are higher than the major portion of the wall 21, to accommodate the roller 19' at the mid-position of the crank 17 and the middle part of the wall 21 is extended up along with the lugs 22. Projecting rearwardly from this wall 21, at its opposite ends, in the upper parts thereof, are the guide lugs 23, each having two apertures 24 transversely through it, and each aperture of the lug 23 being horizontally alined with a corresponding aperture of the other lug 23.. The apertures 24 thus alined re ceive the guide bars 9 of the base. fitting snugly but slidably thereon, so that the rack 20 is guided to slide transversely of the stand as driven one way or the other by the crank 17 as the handle-lever 14 is thrown one way or the other through an angle of onehundred and eighty degrees. Along the lower part of the rear side of the wall 21 is the series of rack teeth 25, as here shown being seven in number and the terminal teeth 25 of the series preferably being joined to the respective lugs 23, above, so that the teeth and lugs mutually are reinforced.

The segment spur gear 26, as here shown having six teeth 27, meshes with the rack teeth 25 and 25 when the downwardly projected-large lower hub 28 of the gear turns in the rear base opening 6, and swings under the bars 9 and rack lugs 23 sliding on the bars; the gear 26 being turned ninety degrees by thecomplete travel of the rack 20 incident to one hundred and eighty degrees turning of. the handle lever 14. Projecting upwardly, the gear 26 has the upper hub 29 which has pinned therein, coaxially, the target shaft 30 projecting up through and bearing in the casing opening 11. This shaft here isshown with only. a short projection above the casing with a reduced end part having an aperture 31 for connecting an extension of the target shaft; but it will be understood that this shaft may extend up any required distance, and he of any desired shape, to carry the target or a lamp, as well known in the art. The rear lugs 23 of the rack slide closely past the front of this upper gear. hub 29. The gear 26 is of ample width in its face, as are the rack teeth 25 and 25, but the connection to the hub is a thinner web 32, which is continued around the hub as a flange 33 resting on top of the base around the bearing opening 6 and supporting the gear and attached parts on the base.

The bearing opening 6 of the base is of ample length to afiord a good bearing, and the lower gear hub 28, fully cylindrical for the length of this bearing, continues down past the bearing as a crankblock 34 with opposite flat sides 35 and having the crankarm circular opening 36 through it from one side 35 to the other at right angles to the median line of the segment gear 26, in the example of Figs. 1 to 7 inclusive. The crank-arm 37 comprises the middle cylindrical part 38 fitting in the crank-block opening 36 and having at one end the ear 39 with an upstanding pin 40, between which ear 39 and the part 38 is a flange 41, four sides 42 to correspond in shape with the flat side 35 of the crank block. The other end part 43 of the crank arm 37 is reduced and has threads 44, receiving a nut 45, and the inverted U shaped shims 46 are held between this nut and the adjacent flat side 35 of the block; any one of these shims being transferrable to the opposite flat side 35 to increase the crank throw, as in my prior Patent No. 1,360,862 before men tioned; these shims being improved in that each shim has its lower ends 47 bent so that the one next to the block 34 fits its end 47 under the edge of the block, and each succeeding shim fits its bent ends under those of the preceding one. When transferred, a shim is reversed so that its bent ends 47 fit toward the block in the same way on the opposite side.

The connecting rod 48, lying on top of the crank car 39 around the pin 40, is kept from rising by the bottom of the base and flanges 49 thereof at opposite sides of its rear; the rod 48 being put on the pin 40 before the crank arm 37 is placed in the crank block 34. This pin, for yard use, may be made so that it will break under abnormal strain; for main line use, however. it should not be breakable under such conditions.

As shown in Figs. 8 and 9, a crank 50 with three arms 51 and opposite nut-locking lugs 52 on the bottom of its hub, has four clutch lugs 53 on the top of its hub to mesh with four corresponding clutch lugs 54 on the lower end of the hub of the gear 26, which will be understood to be associated with the rack and other parts of my invention fully shown in Figs. 1 to 7, inclusive. The arms 51, as shown, are of reduced cross-section at 51, next to the hub, so that an arm will break under abnormal strain, in yard use. As the three arms 51 are ninety degrees apart, the four-lug clutch arrangement permits the crank to be removed and replaced ninety degrees from its previous position when the arm is broken, bringing the next arm into position for use. In making this connection, the crank clutch lugs 53 are pushed up fully in mesh with the gear clutch lugs 54 until the nut 55') is screwed in place, and then the crank 50 drops slightl against the nut, which then is flanked by the lugs 54 and locked: this nut being screwed on the threaded lower end part of the target shaft 30 which here extends entirely down through the gear 26, being pinned in the upper hub 29" of the gear. The connecting rod 48' here straddles the crank arm 51, with a pin 56 having its head 57 resting on top of the upper member of the rod 48' and kept from rising by the bottom of the base and the base flanges 49. The rod 48 is connected to the crank 50 before the latter is connected to the gear 26.

By having the gear 26 or 26 to provide the operative relation between the rack 20 and the switch-throwing crank-arm 37 or 51, there is constituted a lever the operating radius of which always is at right angles to the direction of rack travel. In my previous inventions, such as those of the patents mentioned, the operating radius is at an angle of forty-five degrees with the line of rack travel at initiation of the switchthrowing movement, resulting in a marked disadvantage to the switchman due to excessive friction under the indirect application of the power from the rack to the switch-throwing crank. This is especially the case where the rack is operated by a crank, as herein, instead of a gear as in the prior patents mentioned, as the crank, starting parallel with the direction of rack travel, must act in a wedge-like manner, with considerable friction. My present invention may have a gear substituted for the crank coaxial with the throwing lever 14, while using the gear to connect the rack with the switch-throwing crank, thus improving specifically on my prior automatically throwing switch-stands of the patents mentioned. However. my present improvement is especially desirable in connection with the positively locking. dead-center re lation of crank and rack; with the gear connection from rack to switch-throwing crank working with the advantage above noted. It will be observed that a gear connection is unsuited to positive locking. but well suited to automatic throwing. as in my prior devices referred to: if the gear connects the manipulating means with the rack. But the gear connection is well suited for connecting the rack with the switch-throwing crank in either kind of stand: and is of especial advantage where the first connection is a crank, without the advantage a gear has for operativelv connecting the manipulating means with the rack.

Modifications other than those illustrated or mentioned may occur in practice, in adapting my invention to different kinds of switch-stands or under different conditions of use. Therefore, while certain construetional details are deemed preferable in connection with my invention, and I have shown and described these rather specifically, as is required to elucidate the construction and use of my invention, I do not wish to be understood as being limited to such precise disclosure, but having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a switch-stand, mechanism comprising manipulating means and a rack operatively related, said rack having a series of teeth, a gear meshing with said teeth, means to operatively connect said gear with a switch. and means for operatively supporting said mechanism.

2. In a switch-stand, mechanism comprising a manipulating lever, a switch-throwing crank. a gear turning with said switchthrowing crank, a rack having teeth meshing with said gear and operatively related to said manipulating lever. and means for operatively supporting said mechanism.

3. In a switchstand. mechanism c0mprising a lever and a crank coaXially connected,

a rack engaged by said crank and having a series of teeth, a gear meshing with said teeth. means to operatively connect said gear to a switch, and means for operatively supporting said mechanism.

4e. In a switch-stand. mechanism comprising a lever and a crank coaXiallv connected, a switch-throwing crank, a gear turning with said switch-throwing crank. a rack meshing with said gear and operatively related to the first mentioned crank, and means for operatively supporting said mechanism.

5. In a switch-stand. mechanism comprising a lever and a crank coaXially connected, a roller on said crank. a rack having a guideway receiving said roller and having a series of teeth. a gear meshing with said teeth. means to operatively connect said gear with a switch. and means for operatively supporting said mechanism.

6. In a switch-stand, mechanism comprising a crank and a gear on axes substantially at right-angles to each other. a rack operatively connected with said crank and meshing with said gear. means fo manipulating said crank. means to operatively connect said gear to a switch, and means for opera tively supporting said mechanism.

7. In a switch-stand. mechanism comprising a crank on a substantially horizontal axis and a gear on an upright axis. a rack operatively related to said crank and meshing with said gear. means for manipulating said crank, means to operatively connect said gear to a switch. and means for operatively supporting said mechanism.

8. In a switch-stand. mechanism comprising a crank on a substantially horizontalv aXis and a gear on an upright axis. a rack sliding over said gear. operatiyely related to said crank and meshing with said gear. means for manipulating said crank. means to opcratively connect said gear to a switch. and means for opcratively supporting said mechanism.

9. In a switch-stand. mechanism comprising a crank on a snbstzn'itially horizontal axis and a gear on an upright axis. a rack sliding over said gear. meshing with said gear and having an upright guideway operatively receiving said crank. means tor inanipulating said crank. means to operatively connect said gear to a switch. and means for operatiyely supporting said mechanism.

10. In a switclnstand. a support. a crank journaled substantially horizontally in said support. a rack sliding substantially horizontally on aid support across the crank axis and operatiyely related to said cranl: and having a substantially horizontal series of teeth extended substantially horizontally away from said crank. a gear journaled on said support on an upright axis. meshing with said teeth. and means to operatiyely connect said gear to a switch.

11. In a switch-stand. a support. a crank journaled substantially horizontall in said support. a bar mounted substantially horizontally on said suppo t across the crank axis. a rack operative y related to said crank and having a bearing lug and a substantially horizontal series of teeth extended sub stantially horizontally away from said crank. said bearing lug supporting said rack slidably on said bar. a gear iournalcd on said support on an upright axis. meshing" with said teeth. and means to operatiyel connect said gear to a switch.

12. In a switch-stand. a support. a crank journaled substantially horizontally in said support. a bar mounted substantially horizontally on said support across the crank axis. a rack sliding on said bar and operatively related to said crank and having a substantially horizontal series of teeth extended substantially horizontally away from said crank. a gear journaled on said support on an upright axis. mesh ng with said teeth. and means to opcratiyely connect said gear to a switch.

13. In a switch-stand. a support. a crank iournaled substantially hm'izontally on said support, guiding means on said support. extending substantially horizontal across the axis of said crank. a rack sliding on said guiding means and operatiyely related to said crank and having a substantially horizontal series of teeth extended substantially horizontally away from said crank under said guiding means, a gear journaled on said support on an upright; axis. meshing with said teeth. and means to operatiyely connect said ear to a switch.

14. In a switch-stand. a support. a crank journaled substantially horizontally on said support. guiding means on said support. extending substantially horizontall across the axis of said crank. a rack sliding on said guiding means and operatiyely related to said crank and having a substantially horizontal series of teeth extended substantially horizontally away from said crank under said guiding means. a shaft journaled in said support on an upright axis and e\'tending up past said guiding means and said rack. a gear connected to said shaft and meshing with said teeth. and means to operrtiye y connect said gear to a switch.

15. In a switch-stand. a support. a crank iourualed substantially horizontally in said support. a plurality of bars mounted subs antially horizontally on said support across the c ank ayis. a rack operati ely related to said crank and sliding on said bars and having a substantially horizontal series of teeth cytended substantially horizontally away from said crank. a gear iournaled on said su port on an upright axis meshing with said teeth. and means to operatiyely connect said gear to a switch.

6. In a switch-stand. a support. a crank jonrnaled substantially horizontally in said support. a plurality ot bars arranged side b side in substantially horizontal series and mounted on said support across the crank ayis. a rack operatiyely related to said crank and having a bearing lug and a substantially horizontal series of teeth extended substantially h rizontally away from said crank. said bearing ug supporting said rack slidably on said bars. a gear journaled on said support on an upright axis. meshing with said teeth. and means to operatiyely connect said ear to a switch.

17. In a switch-stand. a support. a crank iournaled substantially horizontally in said support. a bar mounted substantially horizontally on said support across the crank axis. and having bearing lugs and a sub stantially horizontal series of tee h extended substantially horizontally away from said c ank. said bearing lugs being near respective ends of said series of teeth and supporting said rack slidably on said bar. a gear iournaled on said support on an upright axis. meshing with said teeth. and means to operatiyely connect said gear to a switch.

18. In a switch-stand. a support. a crank journaled substantially horizontally in said support, guiding means on said support, ex tending substantially horizontally across the of said crank. a rack sliding on said guiding means and operatively related to said crank and having a substantially hori zontal series of teeth, a gear meshing with said teeth and having a hub extending down and journaled in said support, and having a hub extending upward, a target shaft fixed in said upwardly extended hub, and means for operatively connecting said downwardly extended hub to a switch.

19. In a switch-stand, mechanism LOli'lprising manipulating means, a rack opcrie tively related to said manipulating means, a direct-switch-throwing crank, and lever means through which said direct-switchthrowing crank and said rack are operatively related said lever means maintaining its operating radius substantially at right angles to the direction of rack travel throughout its operation.

20. In a switch-stand, mechanism comprising manipulating means, a rack operatively related to said manipulating means, a transverse guide for said rack, a direct switch-throwing crank, and lever means swinging with said direet-switch-throwing crank and operatively related to said rack below said guide, said lever means maintaining its operating radius substantially at right angles to the direction of rack travel throughout its operation.

21. In a switch-stand, mechanism coin prising manipulating means swinging substantially one hundred and eighty degrees, a rack operatively related to said manipulating means, a dlIOCt-SWlltll-tlllOWlllg crank, and lever means through which said directswitch-throwing crank is swung by said rack substantially ninety degrees incident to said swinging of said manipulating means, said lever means maintaining its operating radius substantially at right angles to the direction of rack travel throughout its operation.

22. In a switch-stand, mechanism comprising a substantially horizontally sliding rack, means in front of said rack for sliding said rack, and a coaxially connected gear and direct-switch-throwing crank on an upright axis at the rear of said rack, said rack having rearwardly extended teeth meshing with said gear, and means for operatively supporting said mechanism.

23. In a switch-stand, a rack having guideways on opposite sides extending substantially at right angles to each other, and a series of teeth on one side of said rack, the guideway on said one side extending substantially parallel with said series of teeth and projecting farther from the rack than do the teeth.

24. In a switcl'i-stand, a rack having lugs projecting from opposite sides, the lugs on one side having their adjacent surfaces substantially parallel, and the lugs on the opposite side having apertures in alinement substantially at right angles to said surfaces, and a series of teeth on this opposite side, substantially parallel with the alinement of said apertures.

25. In a switch-stand, a rack having lugs projecting from opposite sides. the lugs on one side having their adjacent surfaces substantially parallel, and the lugs on the opposite side having apertures in alinen'ient substantially at right angles to said surfaces, and a series of teeth on this opposite side. substantially parallel with the alinement of said apertures, the apertured lugs being near respective ends of the series of teeth.

26. In a switch-stand, a rack having lugs projecting from opposite sides, the lugs on one side having their adjacent surtaces substantially parallel, and the lugs on the opposite side each having a plurality of apertures arranged successively t'arther from said opposite side and respective apertures oi the respective lugs being in alinementsubstantiall a t right angles to said surfaces. and a series oi teeth on this opposite side, substantially parallel with the alinement of said apertures.

27. In a switch-stand, a rack having up right substantially parallel guide lugs on one side. transversely spaced guide lugs on its opposite side. and a transverse series of teeth on said oppesite side.

In a swi ch-stand, a rack having upright substantially parallel guide lugs on one side, transversely spaced guide lugs on its opposite side, and a transverse series of teeth vertically spaced away from the transversely spaced guide lugs on said opposite side.

29. In a switclrstand, a spur gear having a switch-throwing crank block extending substantially coaxially therefrom, and hava crank-arm-receiving opening through said crank block.

30. In a switch-stand, a spur gear having a switch-throwing crank block and a tart-t-shaft-connecting hub extending substantially coaxially therefrom in opposite directlons.

31. In a switch-stand, a spur gear on an upright axis, a transversely sliding rack irieshing with said gear, means for manually sliding said rack. a crank block turning with said gear, a cranl: arm extending through said crank block, laving rod connecting means at one end and having removable retaining means on its other end, and a U- shaped shim inverted and astraddle of said crank arm between said retaining means and said crank block, and having its end parts retentivel inclined under said crank block.

FRANK C. ANDERSON. 

